Changeable rotary folder



July 31, 1928.

H. F. BECHMAN CHANGEABLE ROTARY FOLDER.

original Filed Sept. 13, 1924 3 Sh'e't's-Sheet 1 lul 31, 192&

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 nvemtoz H F BECHMAN CHANGEABLE ROTARY FOLDER Ongmal med Sept 15, 1924 July 31, 1928.

H. F. BECHMAN CHANGEABLE ROTARY FOLDER Original Filer. se als, 1924 V 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 m-11c u for Patented July 31, 1928.

HENRY F. BECHMAN, 0F BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO DUPLEX PRINTING PATENT: OFFICE.

PRESS COMPANY, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN;

CHANGEABLE ROTARY FOLDER.

Application filed September 13, 1924, Serial No. 737,552. Renewed February 9, 1928.

This invention is a novel improvement in folding mechanisms for web printing presses especially designed for use in connection with newspaper printing presses and the object of the invention is to make a folder which can be adapted to fold newspapers of different sizes by the substitution of interchangeable parts of the desired size at a very slight expense.

Ordinarily large newspaper pressesare built to order, and generally are made to print papers of one of three given sizes in length, say approximately 21 22% and 23 'g WVith such a press a folder is always required of proper size to fold the papersproduced by such machine. Such folder is built with cutting and folding rolls adapted to handle the particular length of sheet for which the press is built.

The cylinder, frames, gearing, etc, of the press, and the folder, are not usually manufactured until the order determining the size of sheets to be printed, is received by the manufacturer, as it would throw an immense financial burden on manufacturers to carry different vsizes of such large machines in stock. 7 It not infrequently happens that a publisher after purchasing one or more presses and folders adapted to print and fold a given size of sheet finds conditions changed which make it advantageous to alter the size of sheets. Heretofore in such cases to make such a change has required the expenditure of a large amount of money and time to exchange the presses and folders for new, onesof the required size.

Heretofore when the size of sheet is changed it has always been necessary to also exchange the old folder for a new folder of.

.the required size. .In my companion application (Case #7073), for patent on rotary printing press, I have shown and described a novel newspaper press so constructed that if the newspaper owner desiresto change the size of the sheets of the newspapers to be printed, he can do so by removing from. such "press the original plate and impression cylinders and substituting therefor plate and impression cylinders adapted to print the size of sheets desired, and by changing a few gears, whereupon the press is capacitated to print the desired length of sheet,'and the owner is not compelled 'to purchase an entirely new press in order to make the desired change in size of sheets. \Vhen such changes are made, however, he would ordinarily have to buy" a new folder to handle the new size of sheets, and the primary obnew printing press, to print a different size of sheet, he can use the old folder by changing it at little expense to suit the new size of sheet. y

To enable others skilled in the art to readily understand and utilize theinvention I will explain it more in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one practicalembodiment thereof; and refer to the appended claims for summaries of theessentials of the invention, the novel features of construction, andnovel combi nations of parts, for all of which protection is desired.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rotary folder having folding cylinders say 14% in diameter and its parts adjusted to fold one given size of sheets.

Figure 2 1s a s de elevation of such folder arranged to fold another size of sheet, and

having a. folding cylinder, say 15'. in di- V ameteri Figure 3 is an end elevation showing the principal mechanisms of the folder.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view of the parts which require shifting or replacing when altering the folder to suit sheets to be folded. r 1

The folder illustrated in the shows a double folder having duplicate sets of folding mechanisms which can simultaneously operate on separate webs in the usual manner. As each of the two folders is constructed and operated alike a description of one will explainbot-h, similar reference characters indicating similar parts.

the size of drawings,

Each web of paper is led from the press (not shown) in the usual manner to and over a former indicated at F in the drawings, and between the guide rolls 1 down between pinch rolls 2, then between a cutting cylin der 3 and foldingcyliiuler -t with their component parts, such as cutting knives, tucker blades, retaining pins. and gears 3, t, whose pitch lines correspond with the respective cylinders, are bodily removable from the frame and are interchangeable with like cuttingand folding cylinders of a different size.

henitis desired to change the folder so from its companion roll. Figure 4 the driven roll 5 carries a pinion' asto operate upon a different size of sheet the cylinders 3 and 4 are removed and other cylinders substituted therefor adapted to fold thenew size of sheet. The bearing 4" for the folding cylinder t may. remain always in the same, place, and in fact may be' formed integral with or as a part of the sides 20 of the frame. The bearings 3 of the cutting cylinder .3 are madeadjustable toward or from the. bcarings t", and when the cylinders are changed the. bearing 3" is adjusted to suit the diameters of the ubstituted cutting and folding cylinders. The bearings 23 may be made adjustable in any suitable manner, as by slotting the bolt holes, by drilling new bolt holes in the bearings or ide frames 20; or by substituting another bearing provided with holes drilled to match the holes already drilled in side frames 20.

Figure 4 diagrammatically.indicates two sizes of cylinders 3, 3 and two sizes of interchangeable folding cylinders 4-, 4 and the corresponding different positions of the adjustable bearings 3". hen the folding cylinders are changed the second fold rolls 5, should be adjusted so that they can properly cooperate with the folding cylinder. For this purpose the second fold rolls 5 are supported in adjustable brackets 8 (see Figures 3 and t) which are adjustably attached to the side frames 20, so that they can be vertically adju ted thereon in order to move the second fold rolls 5 bodily toward or from the folding cylinder 4. The rolls, 5 in each pair revolve in opposite directions, and one of these rolls carries a gear 5 which is driven by an intermediate gear 5 from a gear 4 on the shaft of the related cylinder 4.

The other roll 5 in each pair is driven As indicated in located'in close proximity to the related cylinder 4. \Vhen a cylinder 4 is replaced by another of different size. (as 4 in Figure l) rolls 5 must be adjusted to a new position. In the construction shown as the second fold rolls and their operating mechanisms are carried on the adjustable brackets 8, (one at each side of the folder or at each end of the rolls) by adjusting the brackets 8 the entire second fold roll mechanism can be adjusted to a p0=ition corresponding to the H5 size of the cylinder (4 or i), as indicated in Figuresl, '52 and 4. The brackets Scan be made adjustable in the frames 20 .in any desired manner, as by slotting the bolt holes as shown in Figure 4, or new holesimay he r" drilled n the frame to Stilt the new posit on of the brackets. j

The entire folding machine is driven by means. of a shaftpreferably connected with the main shaft driving the press. As shown, f-

the folder has a'vertical drive shaft.l2 driven bya bevel gear 12* meshing with a bevel gear 11 ona shaft llwhich is preferably directly. connected with the main driving shaft .(not shown) of the press.

Thus the folder is driven as a complete machinein exact unison with the press.

The shaft 12 drives each group of mechanism in the folder: such groups consisting of drag roll above former (not shown) as too one group, the pinch rolls 2 as another. the fold cylinders 5 as the third group; the reels (3 as the fourth group, and the delivery belts 7 as the fifth group, as shown.

Pinch rolls 2 2 are driven by means of a H bevel gear 2 on one of the pinch rolls of each pair engaging a beveledgear 13 on a counter shaft 13 which is driven by a beveled gear 13 from a gear 12 on shaft 12.

Each folding cylinder 4, or 4' is driven by a beveled gear 4 on its. shaft, meshing with a beveled gear 14 ona counter shaft 14 which is driven by a gear 14 from a beveled gear 12 on shaft 12.

Each pair ofsecond fold rolls 5 is driven from a gear on the related folding cylinder shaft as above described.

Each reel 6 is driven by means of gears 6 on the reel shaft meshing with a bevel gear 15 on a counter 811511 515 driven by a gear 15" meshing with a "car 12 on shaft 12. F Each delivery belt 7 is driven by wheels i below the related reels 6 which wheels are driven by spiral gears 7 on the wheel shaft meshing with a spiral gear 16 on a counter To avoid con- 70 shaft 16 which might be driven by bevel gears direct from the shaft 12 if desired, but for convenience, in the construction shown, shaft 16 is driven by a gear 16? meshin with a spur gear 15'0n shaft 15.

%his construction allows variations to be made in the group of cylinder mechanism, and if necessary the group of pinch roll mechanism; without disturbing any of the other groups.

It will be seen that when a change is made in the length of a newspaper to be folded; it is only necessary to substitute the cylinders 3 and 4 by cylinders of the proper size and to reposition the bearings 3 of the cutting cylinder 3 and also reposition the second fold rolls supports or brackets 8; and with the possibility in some cases (i. e. for same sizes of sheets) reposition the pinch rolls 2. All the other parts of the folder can be used, and remain practically unchanged; and thus I obviate the necessity of buying a new folder when the size of the pages printed by the press is changed.

I claim:

1. A rotary folder having cutting and folding cylinders interchangeable with like 7 cutting and folding cylinders of different size in order to cut and fold different lengths of sheets; meansfor relatively adjusting the cylinders in the folder according to their size; second fold rolls adapted to receive the sheets from the folding cylinder; and means for adjusting the second fold rolls in ace cordance with the size of the folding cylinder.

2. A rotary folder having cutting and folding cylinders interchangeable with like cutting and folding cylinders of different size to cut and fold different lengths of sheets; means for relatively adjusting the cylinders in the folder according to their size; second fold rolls adapted to receive the sheets from the folding cylinder; means for adjusting the second fold rolls in accordance with the size of the folding cylinder; and means for driving the secondfold rolls ing cylinder. 7 a v 3. A rotary folder having interchangeable cutting and folding cylinders adapted to cut and fold different lengths of sheets; second fold rolls to receive sheets from the folding cylinder; means for adjustably supporting said rolls whereby the same may be adjusted toward or from the bearings of the folding cylinder in accordance with the size of the cylinder, and gearing for driving the second fold rolls from the folding cylinder..

4. A rotary folder having pinch rolls; interchangeable cutting and folding cylinders adapted to cut and fold different lengths of sheets; second fold rolls to receive sheets from the foldfrom the folding cylinder; means whereby the second fold rolls may be adjusted toward or from the bearings of the folding cylinder in accordance withthe size of the cylinder, gearing between thesecond fold rolls; and gearing for driving the second fold rolls from the folding cylinder.

5. A rotary folder having interchangeable cutting and folding cylinders adapted to cut and fold dilferentlengths of sheets; a set of second fold rolls to receive sheets from the folding cylinder; adjustable brackets bodily carrying said rolls whereby-the same may be adjusted toward or from the folding cylinder in accordance with the size of the cylinder; and gearing for driving the second fold rolls in time with the folding cylinder. 6. A rotary folder having-its cutting and folding cylinders removable and interchangeable with other cutting andfolding cylinders for cutting and folding different lengths of sheets; means for adjusting the said cylinders in the machine according to,

their size; second fold rolls adapted to cooperate with the said cylinders; and means for adjusting said second fold rolls in accordance with the size of the cylinders.

- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, Iaflix my signature.

HENRY F. BECHMAN. 

